Toy steam shovel



J. G. CULLEN ET AL July 13, 1948.

'TOY STEAM SHOVEL- 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 29, 1946 Ir, -----=r=.-------+) INVENTORS Jam-LE5 3. ILu'L'LETL I Edwin H- 2131;, BY

- .TORNEYS.

J. G. CULLEN ET AL July 13, 1948.

TOY STEAM SHOVEL Filed Aug. 29, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 E. dwu'L H. Espea form, with the boom,

"and I in which drawings tion of the discharge means of Patented July 13, 1948 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE TOY STEAM SHOVEL I James G. Cullen and Edwin H. Spear, Baltimore, Md.

Application August 29, 1946, Serial No. 693,657 3 Claims. (01. LG-t) I 'This invention relates to toy steam shovels and more particularly to simulations of materials handling machinery, such as excavators or steam including a boom and a dipper stick which latter is adapted to move both longitudinally as well as transversely of the boom and, of course, to

angles of varied degrees. Another important object is to provide a' steam shovel simulation, including a simple but novel boom block with a unique connection between the dipper stick and boom block.

Still another important object is to provide a toy steamshovel which includes bucket discharge means which maybe manipulated, as by cranks,

to cause the bucket to discharge automatically whenthe dipper stick is at various angles with respect to the boom, and disposed at various posi tions longitudinally of the boom, or the bucket may be'caused to discharge by manual manipulation of a suitable portion of the automatic discharge means.

Among other objects are the provision of simple means to removably secure the boom to the cab,

and means to removably secure the dipper stick to the boom in a'substantially. floating connection (as distinguished-from a pivot pin connection) therewith, whereby the boom and dipper stick may be removed so as to reduce overall size of the toy, for shipment, storage and the like, the provision of simple means for attaching the bucket to the dipper stick (a portion of which last-named means having a dual function) and the provision of a novel toy which will be both amusing and instructive. 7

-Other objects and advantages of the inven-- tion will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is an elevation of one side of the novel toy in position to scoop a bucketful of material from a pile thereof. v

Figure 2 is an elevation of the greater portion of-the other side of the toy, with the bucket thereof in one of its automatically discharging positions. r r --Figure 3 is a view, largely in vertical section of the novel toy, illustrating manual manipulathe bucket. Figure 4 is atop plan view of the showing in Figure 1.

Figures 5 and 6 are elevations of the two side walls of thecab portion of the novel toy, disclosing their inner faces.

Figure 7 is a view, with parts broken away, of the roof of the cab portion disclosing its inner face.

Figure 8 is a section upon ure 7.

Figure 9 is a view, mostly in elevation of the boom portion of the toy.

Figures 10 to 16 inclusive are on anenlarged scale and disclose in:

Figure 10 plan of the boom block;

Figure 11 vertical section thereof- Figureolz front elevation of the shovel.

Figures 13 and 14, sections of the shovel upon their respective'lines of Figure 12.

Figures 15 and 16 crank portions forming parts of the dipper stick and boom blockoperating means.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar reference chraracters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A designates the novel toy steam shovel, B'a pile of material, C a vehicle adapted to receive portions of the material from the pile B, and D hand of an operator of the toy.

The novel steam shovel toy A comprises acab body portion 28, boom 2i, boom block 22, dipper stick 23, shovel or bucket 24, means 25 ior operating the boom block 22, means 26 for operating the dipper stick 23, and means 21 for operating the shovel or bucket 2 either automatically or manually.

In the example shown, the cab body portion 20 comprises a base 30, Which'may .be a track base simulation, shown particularly in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, comprising a pair of horizontallyelongated, vertically-disposed, parallel members 3 l which may be rounded at their ends and these members 3i may be'joined at their upper intermediate sections by a horizontally-disposed bridge piece 32, providing a platform and having a pivot means-accommodating perforation 33, intermediate its ends. I

Rotatably carried by the bridge 'piece 32', upon the upper face thereof, may be a turntable, having an axially-disposed perforation '35 for a 'to be described. This turntable the line 8+8 of Figpivot means mounts a housing 36.

This housing preferably comprises a floor "31, two side walls 38 and 39, an end wall l0 and ..i

aroofli.

edge 48 of the wall 38 for accommodation of a portion of the means to secure the roof dl to the side wall 38.

Referring mainly to Figure lithe side walldd is shown as provided adjacent its front edge' iil,

with two spaced-apart boom securing meansaccommodating sockets 5d, a crank shaft-ac commodating socket .155! for portion of the -means preferably "spaced inwardly of and above the sockets 58, a crankzshafteaccomrnodat ing. perforation 52for a portion of the to, .a perforation 53, adjacent theupperedge gilt of the wall 39 for the same purpose as the perforation A1, and acable-securing meansaasascrew eye 55, preferably adjacent the front edge itiland upper edge: 54.

The several sockets mentioned extend inwardly from the. inner faces of the wallsifid. and lid.

While the end wall d9 (which formstherear wall of the housing) .;may .be omitted, one is shown and is imperforate. The walls 38, and #19 maybe secured tothefloor 37min any approved way andthe walls 38 and :59 are-disposediso that the several perforations and sockets align axially as follows: the pan -M with the paireils tfiwith bl-andt lfi with 52.

In Figures 3, 7 and 8, the roof ll is shownas comprising a horizontally-disposed portion and .a downwardlyeextending l portion 15? at the .rear section. 5.8 of the :portionlfit andhavingetwo sockets .5'9as in Figures '7 and 8, to accommodate portions of fasteners to detachably secure the :roof 'to the side-'ivalls. These fastenersimaybe .screws 85! lwithsthe ;shank :of (one extending through: the perforation! and into .a socket 5.9, and the shank of the o her'extending through :the perforation-53 and intoianother socket 5d. 4

The floor, walls. and roof .Of the housing 3%. tie fine a compartment-5i, liav-ing.1an..'open ;front .;endrfi2.

.Bivot means to rotatably connect the housing .35 :and turntable L34 .wi-th therxbase .30 may. be a cotter pin 63 extending through the perforations ,33, .35,and 42, as shownin lligurefi.

.The boom .Zl is shownmainlyinpEigures 3, 4 and .9. .It comprisesan elongatedmember which may include an .upperend portiontfifi, .a lower. end

portion. 65 and ,a long, intermediate .portion it? -ioining the portions .65 andufie. .Thisdnterme diate pportion comprises a pair .1 of elongated, parallel members 5.8, each having .a longitudinallyeextendingboom blockedge portion-accom- .modating slot 69.. I

A perforation Ill extendsthrough theportion 155 and'a pair of axially-aligning perforations H are providedron n each member-t8 adjacent .theirrjunctures with .the portion 6.6. .These sev-- era] perforations are so .disposed that, when the boom is positioned with the lower edgesofxthe portion 56 disposed .upon;the inner face, .of the floorjl, as. may be 1 seen in vFigure 3,. oneqnf the perforations 5B and sockets 44 will alignzwithathe perforations H, and suitable means may be inserted thereinto to detachably couple the boom and housing. This means may comprise two coupling members 72, having hand grasping outer ends 13. It has been discovered that a good rigid connection of boom and housing is secured by the boom end, resting at one end in line contact upon the floor 3 and by the use of the members 72, so that the boom will not rock. Bridging the 1 parallel members 83 of theboom portion 6'! adjacent their juncture with boom portion 65 is a preferably round member M over which a cable ofthe boom block operating means 25 is trained,

as will be more fully described later.

.InEigures 10 and 11 is shown the boom block izawhich is provided with a dipper stick-accomrmodating, slot or opening '15, somewhat elongated and ending short of the outer end portion 16 and innerlend portion 1'! of the block 22. The slot I5 has paralleling longitudinal faces or edges 18 and paralleling transverse faces or edges 79. In the outer end portion 18 may bea pairoi perforations Eli and SI and in the inner end portions", a perforation 82. The longitudinal edge portions of the boom block are adapted to slide along the slots 69.

The dipper stick 23 comprises an elongated member, having two paralleling longitudinal faces. 85, two paralleling longitudinal faces 88 normal to-the faces 85, an upper-endrportion-fll and a lower or bucket-carryingend portion 88. This dipper stick 23 is constructed and-arranged for a floating connection with the boom block-22. That is, it is not pivoted to the latter by a pivot pin or the like, and may move both ,up anddown (reciprocate) with respect to the boom block and swing or oscillate with respect to the same. The

ing the-wallet the 7 extends the length of this wall in facercontact length of theslot l5 isofgreater length than the transverse distance across the dipper stick as maybe seen from the dot-rand-dash' showing of a transverse cross section of the latter in Figure .10, wherebythere is slot room. for the oscillation mentioned.

At the lower end portion 88 of the. dipperstick 23 is the bucketor shovel 24, shown more particularly in Figures 12, 13 and 14. This bucket comprises a door portion 9i] and abody portion 9! hingedly connected together.

The door portion comprises a back wall'92. and a pair of forwardlyv extending normally vertically disposed flanges 93. The back wall :92, issecured to the lower end portion .88 of the dipper stick with-the faces 86 thereof substantially paralleling the flanges -93. For the purpose-of-reinforcportion, 88 of the. dipp r-stick therewith. The securing means may: be,:;in;.part,

. a screw 94 and-spaced-therefromQaney member- 95, both. extending through the back-I-wall :92 and into thedipperstick. The'eyedmemberaqfi has an additional function, as will be. explained.

It is. preferred thatthe body portionelll of the bucket comprise a single length (if-material :bent or formed to provide parallelside wallseflfiiarid a bottom wall 91 joining the w llsrilt, :Atytheupper ends of the flanges 93 anda'diacent the upper rear corners of the side walls; 96 are; perforations to accommodate apivot' pin; or rod-$98 which also extends through a perforationin-thewlower-end portion 88 of the dipper stick, wherebyzthe -body portion-3i may swing-or .oscillateon thisyplvot $8, and since the pivot :pin iQBreXtBndS: throu h the dipperlstick it. is thus, additionaflxeImported. Adjacent the upper forward :corner-of latileast one side wall 96 may be a perforation 99 through which-extends anend portionof a cable forming a partof-the means 21 for operating the bucket 24, to be more-fully described. The bottom wall 91 normally extends horizontally (When the bucket is in a scooping position) but is inclined from the horizontal when the bucket is discharg- 1ng a l As for the means 25 for operating the boom block 22 for reciprocation along the length-of the boom 2!, there is provided a flexible member such as a cable I00, one end of which is secured to the forward end of the'block, as bybeing extended throughthe perforation 80 therein, and tied, thence extended forward, around the round member I4, thence carried rearwardly along the boom ZI tova suitable device for'taking in and paying out the cable. This device is, preferably, a crank shaft Il extending across the compartment SI of the housing disposed with one end in the socket and the other end extending out wardly 0f the housing through the perforation 45 and terminating in a crank handle I02. The other end of the cable I00 is secured to the shaft IOI for winding thereon. In order to retain the shaft IOI from moving out of the socket 5I, there may be provided any suitable movement-limiting means, asa cotter pin I03 extending through a perforation I00 in the shaft-i0! as in Figure 15.

Means 26 for operating the dipper stick 23 in-. cludes a flexible member, such as the cable I05 secured at one end to the. eyed member 95, which functions also as a means to partially secure the dipper stick to the shovel, thence extends upwardly, substantially paralleling the dipper stick, extends through the perforation 02 in the boom block portion I? and thence. rearwardly along the boom 2! into the compartment 0| to a suitable device for taking in and paying out the cable I05. This device may be exactly like the one previously described and comprise a crank shaft I00 extending. across the compartment 6|, with one end portion within the socket 46 and the other end portion extending outwardly of the housing through the perforation 52 and terminating in a crank handle I01. endof the cable I05 may be secured to this crank shaft I06 for winding thereon. For easiest op' eration, one ofthe cables I00 or I05 is wound clockwise and the other counterclockwise. If

desired, a perforation like the perforation I0 8v may be provided in the crank shaft I06 to accommodate a cotter pin for a purpose like that described in connection with the cotter pin I03.

It should be noted that the cable I05 provides for a floating support for the dipper stick 23, since the latter is not attached directly to the boom 2| nor boom block 22. Of course, the cable I05 also functions to raise or elevate the dipper stick and to limit its downward movements.

A flexible member, such as the cable I08 is secured at one end to the upper end 81 of the dipper stick, as by a cotter pin I00 and extends rearwardly and into the compartment BI where it may be secured to the member I2 bridging the parallel members 68. It is of considerably less length than that of the cable I05.

The means 21 for operating the bucket 24 either automatically or manually comprises a flexible member, such as the cable IIO, with one end portion threaded through the perforation 99 in the bucket wall 9| and tied and the cable |I0 then threaded through the perforation 8! in the boom block and extended rearwardly and into the compartment and secured at its other end to the screw eye 55.

The other The'lengths ofithe canes .ms and m: are fixed,

as distinguished from the effective lengths of the cables- I00 and I05 which may be varied upon being wound on or off the shafts IN and I05. However, it may be seen, by comparing Figures 2 and 3, that while the length of the cable I08is, of course, the sameand the cable is taut, the dipper stick 23 has assumed two. different positions with respect to the boom2l. Of course, theseare examples only of a number of different relative. positions. I

As for the cable H0 it will be noted in Figure. 2, that the same has become taut and has auto-, matically opened the bucket 24 while, in Figure 3, the hand D of an operator has taken up the slack in thecable IIO to open the bucket 24. There are variouspositlons of dipper stick with relation to boom which will cause the bucket to open automatically, and also various positions thereof which will result in slack upon the cable I I0 and opening of the bucket may be had by manual manipulation of the cable I I0.

Of course, gravity will tend to close the bucket, as is obvious from the examples of positions of the bucket portions, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Since the dipper stick 23 is attached directly to the door portion of the bucket and extends the length of the wall 92 thereof, it tends to rein-, force this wall, which receives the jars of the body portion 9|, when the bucket closes by gravity., In:

wouldbe found to be far less desirable for association with the particular device disclosed:

With the parts in the positions shown in Figures 1 and 4, winding the cable I00 upon the shaft IOI will cause the boom block 22 to ascend (move outwardly) along the boom 2| and urge the bucket 24 forwardly into the pile B. Atthe' same time, unwinding the cable I05 will allow the dipper stick to move downwardly with respect to theascending boom block so that the bucket will not simply rise and scrape the face of the pile B but, rather, scoop into the latter, and accumulate abucketful of the material. Thehousing may then be manually rotated and the bucket raised somewhat so. as to vclear the vehicle .0 whereupon further manipulation of the crank arms I02 and I01 will cause the cables I08 and I I0 to become taut (as in Figure 2) and cause the bucket body portion to pivot on the pivot 98 and open the bucket for discharge of its contents over the edge of the bucket door portion 91. The housing may then be rotated so as to place the bucket again close to the pile B.

Various changes may be made to the form of the invention herein shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the claims.

What is claimed is: V V

1. In a toy excavator, a housing, a boom, means securing the boom to the housing to project therefrom, a boom block slidably carried by said boom and having a slot, at forward end, a rearward end and a pair of openings, means secured to the for- 

